Location & Arrival
Mr G and I grab an Uber to Mani at the new Sydney Fish Markets for sunset dining on a Saturday evening. Parking exists but you need to arrive early. The timing is everything and we don’t want to miss the golden hour.
The Vibe
Mani sits under the stunning Fish Markets roof on the Western side (closest to Blackwattle Bay). As we walk up the iconic steps it’s the first restaurant to greet us on the left. There are a small number of indoor tables sharing the space with live seafood tanks, but it’s outside where you should dine. The space is open, modern, with heaters strategically placed to keep the chill at bay as the night progresses. As we are seated, the sunset paints everything in warm light, the harbour reflecting back, and I’m struck by how rare it is to have these views, paired with serious Chinese food.
The crowd is a nice mix of ages, families, friends, tourists and couples on date night. As the evening builds, the restaurant fills steadily. It’s the kind of busy that brings a good vibe but Mr G and I can still have an easy conversation. This is date night material.
From Milsons Point to the Fish Market
If the name rings a bell, it’s because Mani has already done the hard yards under the Harbour Bridge, where it built a loyal following and picked up an Australian Good Food Guide Chef Hat in 2024 and 2025.
Meet Chef Yuri: French Technique, Chinese Heart
At the pass is Head Chef Yuri, whose CV runs through Michelin-standard brigades overseas, where he mastered disciplined French technique before circling back to his own roots. His philosophy is simple: fresh local produce, time‑honoured methods, and just enough creativity to surprise. The emphasis is firmly on respecting Chinese culinary tradition while letting local ingredients shine.
The soul of Mani sits in the Jiangnan ‘water town’ region famed for Shanghai and Zhejiang, the “Land of Fish and Rice” where you can eat delicate seafood and layered broths. Here, those signatures are reimagined against a Sydney backdrop, paired saltbush, finger lime and truffle so the Australian terroir is in the conversation.
The Drinks
I start with Ca’di Rajo Prosecco DOC – crisp, easy, exactly what you want while watching the sun drop. Then r G orders a 2024 Fiano from Adelaide Hills, which is richer in style than I expect. It’s got body and texture, lovely and juicy. For comparison, I also try the 2023 Clos des Sages Mâcon-Villages Chardonnay from Burgundy, which is more restrained and elegant. Both work beautifully with the food, but that Fiano has my heart tonight.
The Food – Zhejiang, Shanghai, & Cantonese Cuisine
As we arrive, one of the chefs is dashing back from the market with a whole fish, just bagged minutes ago. If this isn’t just-in-time dining, I don’t know what is. It’s that fresh. And it shows…every dish arrives with its own distinct flavour profile. Nothing is greasy or homogenised, each plate respects it’s ingredients, techique and Mani’s decades of experience on the wok illuminates the sourcing of local ingredients.
We start with their signature Rainbow crab & pork xiao long bao which arrive in traditional bamboo baskets. Each multicoloured little parcel is filled with a delicate flavourful stock. The absolute standout of the meal arrives early. It is the Crispy Five-Spice Fish in Shanghai Style Soy Sauce. There are two options: a Yellow Croaker, or, our choice the Glacier 51 Toothfish. This dish is native to Mani, and took years to perfect. It uses a special double-frying technique at 210 degrees that renders the fish buttery soft but moody, dark and crispy. Spectacular doesn’t cover it. The fish melts, the spice penetrates without overwhelming, and the texture is something we keep talking about days later.
From the seafood specials, the wok-fried prawns with black truffle sauce have umami depth. The truffle isn’t shy, the prawns are perfectly cooked, and the sugar snap peas are vibrant green with a crunchy punch. The house special salt and pepper calamari is a tower of fun, dusted with Chinese seaweed salt served with honey mustard mayo and yuzu. The calamari is delicate with a very light batter and the seaweed salt adds salinity and a hint of the sea, while the honey mustard mayo with yuzu cuts through with sweetness and citrus.
We order a classic – a dish of green beans with dried shrimp and pork which I have eaten a million times and this is one of my favourites. The beans are crunchy, bright green and devoid of oil, dressed in a delicate sauce and dotted with small specks of mince. Their signature stir-fried spinach noodles with seafood are clean and fresh tasting with nice big juicy prawns, sliced red onion, calamari and dusted with sesame seeds.
Service
The staff are friendly and willing to help. As the restaurant gets busy, I need to flag them down for attention. Some gaps in knowledge appear when I ask about dishes, but they’re happy to check and come back with answers. It’s not flawless, but it’s genuine.
The Verdict
What are we Addicted to? That Five Spice Toothfish is genuinely one of the best Chinese dishes I’ve had in Sydney. The location and sunset views are stunning, and the fact that each dish maintains its own identity rather than blurring into generic Chinese flavours, shows real skill in the kitchen. It’s not a cheap night out, but it’s one of the best Chinese fine dining experiences around, and paired with the setting under the Fish Markets roof is unbeatable.
What do we need to be more Addicted? Service could be tighter when the restaurant fills. Some staff still need better training . It’s a premium price point, so every interaction should feel polished.
Mani is at the new Sydney Fish Market, Blackwattle Bay, Glebe.
Hours: Open Monday – Sunday 10.30am – 9.30pm
See our other Sydney Fish Market Restaurant reviews here